This 18th Century-style Smoked Porter has subtle accent of peat-like Bamberg smoked malt, which is apparent in both the aroma and flavor. It is brewed with seven varieties of premium European malted barley, resulting in note of bittersweet chocolate and coffee that are counter-balanced by a long-sustaining finish of Goldings hops.

Taste: The first thing i noticed is how much smoke is in the flavor compared to the smell. Moderate roasted malt presence, big Smokey character, with a undertone of that artificial dark fruit

Mouthfeel: Light medium body; Goes down fine but the bitterness is pretty substantial, especially for the style

Overall: This is my first offering from Arcadia, and I am a bit disappointed. It doesnt have your typical porter characteristics.. The roasted malts had some potential but it was overpowered by a strong smokiness and slight artificial dark fruit notes. It was almost borderline offensive to me. Its also too bitter, especially within the style. For $12.99 a six pack i expected much better. I will not be revisiting this, and am hesitant on trying another offering by Arcadia. Not recommended (972 characters)

355 ml bottle served cold into a Sam Smiths pint glass. Purchased from the LCBO for $2.45 CDN.

Appearance - nice big very dark brown and mahogany body that eliminates virtually all light. A big 2 fing tan head is poured and sticks around for a good long while leaving a small ring of soapy froth around the glass.

Smell- chocolate, caramel, molasses with some hints of cappuccino. Also some booze soaked vanilla beans. Really good and well rounded aroma profile.

Taste - some coffee and caramel, a little bit like tiramisu in a bottle. Booziness is subdued but makes itself present after a few sips which results in an unpleasant hot finish. Molasses as well to start.

Mouthfeel - smooth oily and slick, booziness gives this a bit of a sharp tingly edge to it and some heat which becomes distracting in the back of the throat which doesn't quite appeal to me. Otherwise moderate carbonation and thick chewy feel.

Overall - looks and smells better than it tastes, but this is still a good example of n English porter. A bit too sharp for my liking, as I would rather this be a little more mellow than it is. But still a very good and worthy beer. (1,151 characters)

I finally got a chance to try this beer. It poured a nice dark brown/black colour. I found the taste to be somewhat sour and unpleasant and at first smell I was reminded of paint. Very strange. Overall I was very disappointed with this porter. (243 characters)

T -Again, a mix of sharp and sour flavours with less maltiness than you'd expect in a porter, although it's still there.

O - I'm not quite sold on the balance of this beer. It has an interesting flavour but I don't think there's enough maltiness to stand up to the unusual sour and smoky flavours for a porter. (414 characters)

This 'London-style Porter' looks to take place during the Industrial Revolution; coal black in colour, with zero visibility and a sooty head, this not only seems like something 19th century city factory workers would drink but also suits the kind of smoggy imagery they'd be accustomed to seeing.

What distinguishes the aroma are not the relatively conventional, expected notes of roasted grain or even the whiff of dried cherry fruit esters, but rather the tinge of singed wood and cigar smoke. The addition of Bamberg-smoked malt adds a very subtle 'cured meat' dimension as well as slightly more apparent elements of beechwood and hickory.

This being American brewed, however, it can't all be about gruffness - there were bound to be some silky-smooth dark chocolate truffle notes in there somewhere. And to find the gentlest trace of espresso, even in a porter, is not the least bit surprising. These tastes really start flowing on the palate and invite notions of vanilla and caramel (whether they're actually in there or not).

No wonder the flavours step it up a level - this clocks in at 7% alcohol! (Arcadia's website actually lists it at 8.2%.) I had no idea we were talking about a beer of that kind of strength - it's not easy to tell. This is right up there with the best dry porters as far as ease of drinkability goes. The finish replays one final clip of smoke before concluding on a dusting of cocoa.

Using smoked malt requires a delicate hand; too little and it goes unnoticed, too much and it can overwhelm both the beer and the drinker. But this recipe implements it in such a way that it supports the flavours of the other malts rather than hides them. Arcadia's London Porter is a true gem of porter that ranks very near the top of my list. Highly recommended. (1,793 characters)

A: The beer appears black in color but upon closer inspection it is clear but very dark red when held up to a bright light. It poured with a short tan head that died down, leaving wispy lacing on the surface and a collar around the edge of the glass.S: Light aromas of dark malts are present in the nose.T: Like the smell, the taste has flavors of dark and sweet malts.M: It feels light- to medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation.O: This porter is a good representation of the style as it is quite malty but doesn't have much in the way of hoppy flavors.

I really don't like this sour version of the style, but it is a well made brew and appropriate for the style.

It's pretty in the glass, with a big light brown head. The aroma gives away the funky door that is to come. The taste is profoundly sour, especially when too cold. This improved to a nice balance when warmer. The aftertaste followed suit, being much better as I let it sit in the sun a couple minutes on this hot day.

Although I warmed up to this brew I think I will avoid it in the future. (503 characters)

12 oz bottle. Pours black with small, fluffy beige head and a lot of bubbles. Aroma is of toasted malt, dark fruit and coffee and cream. Body is full and tangy. Taste is of toasted malt, coffee, chocolate, vanilla, brown sugar, dark fruit and earthy hops. Finish is long and bitter. Very nice porter. (300 characters)

Smell: A LOT of roast/smoke/ash. Almost a wood aromatic as well from all of that. Coffee and chocolate are there but not heavily. Smells good, but almost a bit overbearing with the smoke/ash. (3.75/5)

Taste/feel: About a medium mouthfeel with a mellow, light carbonation. Very pleasant, accurate feel here. The taste is a fairly heavy amount of smoke/ash with a wheelbarrow of roasty qualities. Bittersweet chocolate at the end. Not much depth of flavor, but what is there is flavorful. I could see the smokiness of this brew turning off many, but it's balanced nicely with some sweetness. Very easy drinking at 7%. A really quite nice beer from Arcadia. (4/5, 4.25/5)

One of the better beers I've had from Arcadia. Not my favorite porter in terms of flavor, but this one is a good example of a porter over a stout, I think. I'd definitely have it again, as it can be difficult to find a tasty porter on the shelf.

Poured from a bottle into a Brooklyn Brewery snifter. It pours out very dark, even for a porter. I can detect only the faintest trace of light coming through the glass. It sports a nice chunky brown head with average retention. On the nose I get sweet malt, some roasty notes, and a faint trace of smoke.

The beer has a medium body and a sweet, smokey flavor. There is some nice breadiness up front with hints of toffee, chocolate, and brown sugar, then the smoke comes in. It is not so prevalent as to suggest a rauchbier, but it is definitely assertive and plays well with the malty sweetness. Hop character is minimal as the smoke provides the balance instead. It carries through the finish and leaves a nice smokey sweetness lingering behind. No booziness.

I'm not much into smoked beers, but this one is very well-balanced. The smoke provides a nice complement to the toffee and treacle flavor of the malt without going too far and leaving behind a briny flavor. A really nice beer that I may visit again. (1,012 characters)

3.75 A: Black color. Two fingers of frothy light brown head. Retention is about average and a lot of lacing is left.

4.0 S: This smells mainly of tangy roastiness with smoky components. I'm not sure if this is a smoked beer or not, but it certainly seems that way. Aside from that, there's plenty of chocolate with some caramel and molasses. I keep getting a whiff of pig, so I have to assume this is smoked. Smells good.

3.75 T: Taste is like the nose. Tangy roastiness, campfire and porcine smoke, chocolate. Underneath is caramel, molasses, and maybe a touch of dark fruits.

Overall, what we enjoyed most about this beer was its robustness of flavoring. While the nose did a nice job of beginning to describe the beer, it didn’t quite prepare you for the powerful, pervasive onslaught of smokiness through the taste. It was like black coffee meets mesquite BBQ meets a beautifully peaty scotch. These blended wonderfully across a base of sweeter chocolate, brown, and coffee malts, with even a bit of hops stopping by to say hello, and add some grassiness. The flavor is strong and excellent to style, and this guy will happily take you to foggy London town and back with a smile on your face the entire time. (2,666 characters)

Holy smokes! Amazing bittersweet smokiness with meaty and peaty notes. Mesquite and ember with notes of smoked fish and roast barley. Chocolate is here with notes of medium-roast coffee and a trace of vanilla bean.

Drinks sudsy and satisfying. Medium body with an oatmeal chew. Burps well, even though the carbonation is lower.

Love this beer, but a terrible misnomer. Call it what it is... a fantastic smoked porter. (567 characters)

This beer pours a dark, almost black colour and smells of roasted malts with hints of chocolate and toffee. The taste mirrors this smell, with a smooth and roasty mouth and a slightly bitter finish. Overall, an enjoyable beer that is well crafted here in Michigan.

Pours dark but with a lack of head on it. Some faint lacing. Malty that has Chocolate and roast characters. A sweetness is noticed that resembles toffee. Mouthfeel is Creamy with moderate carbonation and noticeable bitter finish. I will try it again. (250 characters)

12oz bottle, pours a cola-like dark brown with a short, tan head that fades to a foam atop the ale leaving a little lacing on the glass. Aromas are roasty, smoky, ashy, french roast coffee grounds. Tastes are smoky, roasted barley, chocolatey, and very well balanced. Mouth-feel is velvety smooth, but fades to be a bit watery at the end; Lower carbonation. Overall, it was nice to come back to this one, seeing as it's been a couple of years since I had it. It was as good as I remember it being. (497 characters)

If I hadn't poured this myself, I would have thought it was a British style imperial stout. Look at the ABV - this is right in line with Samuel Smith's Impy. The look is spot-on too, dark dark dark brown with a touch of red, not entirely opaque but close to it. Very short tan head that receded to a little mist. Mouthfeel is good - thick like I like it without being too sticky. Flavor is sweet dark malt, quite a bit of that soy sauce-like taste typical of lighter imperial stouts, but not as much depth as a proper RIS or even more conventional porters. Not much hop to be found, but with this much alcohol I'm not surprised. Speaking of the alcohol, it smacked me right in the nose when I opened the bottle, but is barely noticeable in the glass. I'm sure it'll hit me again as I near the bottom of the glass.

On the whole, a smooth, solid imperial porter. Good stuff and easy drinking from a local Southern Michigan brewery. (930 characters)

A: Murky deep brown with a solid tan head, recedes fairly quickly, but it is still handsome

S: A decently strong roasted malt aroma with an edge of sweetness from some caramel malt

T: Has very similar aspects to a dry irish stout (almost like a murphy's), pretty clean flavors overall, that roasted aroma comes through as the main flavor too, the caramel malt balances the bitterness from the roast and also the relatively generous hop levels (not "bitter" by any means, but balanced), hops have a decent amount of flavor input too, alcohol comes through, but blends very nicely with the roasted flavors

M: Medium body, but thanks to the good carbonation it feels pretty light

O: Overall a good porter, its not ground-breaking, but it does taste like a slight throwback to the original porter. Stronger in alcohol and flavor than some porters, although not quite as much so as some of the accounts of historic porters. (961 characters)

Poured from a bottlle into a pint glass. Pours a pitch black with a quarter finger worth of off-white head. Pretty much looks like any other porter. Basically smells of vanilla and coffee beans, although I do have a slight siun infection so perhaps there's a little bit more, although from previous porters I have had I would doubt it. Tastes like vanilla, dark coffee, and dark chocolate. Predominantly the coffee though. The mouthfeel unlocks nothing new except for a slight burnt malt flavor far off in the distance. Overall, I have been disappointed by almost everything that I have had by Arcadia and this beer isn't really an exception if I compare it to other porters such as Gonzo. Would I buy it again? Why? I could have Gonzo instead. (744 characters)